Energy Saving Technology

The cost of electricity has more than doubled for businesses over the last decade. But today, the phrase "going green" is widely talked about in relation to business survival, which is to reduce the impact on the environment. But surveys show many companies are still struggling to understand the technology available and are wary about the upfront costs involved. Technology of Business offers guidance on the most effective ways for businesses to cut their energy bills and start operations more naturally and sustainably.

LED lighting

Turning to LED - Light Emitting Diode - lighting is the quickest and simplest way any business action can be taken to reduce energy use, argues Myles McCarthy, director of implementation at the Carbon Trust.

A traditional 60 watt incandescent bulb will produce about 750 to 1,000 lumens - a measure of lighting power - but 95% of the energy used to create light would normally be wasted in heat. Modern LED bulbs are much more thermally efficient and can now produce between 50 and 100 lumens per watt (lm / W) under normal working conditions.

One US manufacturer, Cree, considers it has produced white LED light bulbs that can produce 300 lm / W. Mr. McCarthy says the return on investment in LEDs is typically between one and three years. For example, one retail outlet client invested £ 74,000 in new lighting, resulting in a 74% reduction in lighting energy and savings of about £ 33,000 per year, he said. "This is why we have seen a sizeable investment in LED in recent years."

Smart in Monitoring

Part of the so-called "internet stuff" - which gives us data about our energy consumption patterns that we never had before. "It's their ability to communicate intelligently, not their ability to record energy use," argues Joel Hagan, chief executive of smart metering company Onzo. "They give us far more visibility than we've ever had before, right down to the energy usage of individual equipment."

Increasing this visibility helps businesses identify energy waste more easily and make potentially large savings. Quentin Clark, head of the Microsoft data platforms group, told the BBC: “By implementing this big internet control and data analysis system at our headquarters campus [in Redmond, Washington] we were able to spot irregularities in our energy use, like a garage that has a cooler air. "

Microsoft says its Acres 88 project, which involves 125 buildings, 30,000 pieces of equipment generates 500 million data transactions every day, can result in energy savings of up to 10% per year for the company, saving "millions of dollars".

Once the business has established efficiencies for current equipment and energy use patterns, generating its own electricity through renewable technology could be the next sensible step.

The Energy Saving Trust's Greg Shreeve describes solar PV as a “sure-fire” investment for businesses with the required capital. The cost of installing PV panels has fallen dramatically over the past 10 years, while their efficiency has improved, making them an obvious useful addition for large or small business buildings.

Not only can they help reduce your electricity bill, but you will be paid for the electricity you generate and export to the grid thanks to the UK Feed-In Tariff (FITs) scheme.

Introduced in April 2010, business schemes pay for the electricity they produce through solar, wind turbines, water, anaerobic digesters or a combined heat and power system. Generational subsidy rates - currently over 14P per kilowatt hour for small schemes - are under review and could be reduced.

And how much support you receive also depends on the Energy Performance Ranking of your property's Certificate, so it makes sense to have increased your company's energy efficiency before signing up.

Local delivery companies should also consider switching their fleets to electric vehicles, advises Tim Anderson, senior transportation manager at the Energy Saving Trust. When Fruit4London, a small company delivering fresh fruit to city workers, invested in a fleet of four electric vans, "It was one of the best decisions we've ever made," said co-founder Laszlo Mulato.